Wichita eagle., 1887-01-20

ing car load of grain from Wichita to
Kansas City than their part of the freight
received, if the same car of grain was ship
ned from Wichita to New York. Now
suppose the rate on wheat per bushel from
Wichita to Kansas City is ten cents, from
Kansas City to Chicago it is eight cents per
blshel and from Chicago to New York il
is seven cents per bushel. This would
make twenty-five cents per bushel for ship
ping one bushel of wheat from Wichita to
New York Now suppose we want to
ship wheat from Wichita direct to New
York: The railroads will say this is a
long haul and no transferring as in the cases
Just given, and we will ship the wheat TO
New York for sixteen cents per bushei,
thus making nine cents in favor of the ship
ping of wheat direct to the seaboard, in
stead of transferring at intermediate
points. Ii is the intent of
| this interstate commerce law to
prevent this discrimination and compel
the railroads to charge the % cents per
bushe for shipping the wheat from
Wichita to New York, or reduce the short
hauls in the examples to 16 cents per bushel.
Of course - the railroads would pre-
fer The former if they are compelled to do
one or the other 1t is claimed by many
PEG pie here that this law will top the
through shipments and make Wichita trlb-
utary to Kansas City, and in consequence
destroy our prospects Of making the great
commercial city that before the passage OF
this law seemed to be a forgone conclu-
sion. These fears and forbodings are un-
warranted. The transfer Of wheat at
Kansas City and the wastage will cost al
least one and half cents per .ushe!,
and the same at Chicago, leaving a gain of
three cents per bushel in favor OF the
long haul from Wichita to the sea board.
What have said in regard to the ship
ment of wheat applies to corn and oats
and all the exports Of this state. | pre-
sumo the readers OF tie EAGLE Can readily
see that this law viii not hurt Wichita.
If, as claimed, this law will make Chi
cago tributary to New York, and St. Louis
and Kansas City tributary to Chicago, and
Wichita tributary to ST. Louis and Kansas
City, why, can't you see that 1t will make
all the country west of here clear to the
Pacific ocean tributary to Wichita You
see the laws Of business are interchangeable |
like the laws Of nature. Gravitation don't
cause one man to fall down into well and |
another man to fall up a tree. While this
is true scientifically, yet from financial
owing to congressional legisla-
ton and grasshoppers and other plaques,
a good many of the old settlers in this
about Ammo Domini 1874 went up
the spout, without any extraordinary ply
steal exertions on the part Of said old set
tiers to make the assent. If this law
should be faithfully observed the real in
jury would be TO the farmers of the west
and not to the cities.
No man who is loyal to the great west
ne FL fear that this interstate commerce law
vii ruin our business or our railroads. for
tell you confidently that the shippers and
railroad men of the west can run a whole
frei sht train loaded with corn and wheat
In oats aud cattle and hogs and sheep
plumb through any bill congress can get
Up, and they or any court in the country
IAN ever put On their "specks' and see
where it went through.
You perhaps remember that we have
aw in this state to regulate the shipment
IF pro luce. We have three commission
,rs to regulate the whole matter. The
abroad men pay just about as much atten
ion to them as they would to three Nor
way rats. | think the rats would cause
he most concern if they were likely to gel
MO a wheat bin somewhere.
That is about all know on this subject,
nd am not positively sure that | know
hat FARMER DooLITTLE